At-Home Gel Nails Pose Underrecognized Risks

Approximately half of online survey respondents report adverse skin reactions from using at-home gel nail kits.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 8:22am

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A new study presented at the annual meeting of the American Contact Dermatitis Society found that users of at-home gel nail kits are at an increased risk for adverse skin reactions, with 54% of respondents reporting issues like itching, redness, and swelling. The researchers noted that the risk for allergic contact dermatitis from these products remains underrecognized, especially among non-professional users.

Why it matters

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the use of at-home gel nail kits, which often contain the chemical 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate that can cause allergic reactions. This study highlights a growing public health issue that affects real-world consumer behavior, as many people turned to at-home nail care during the pandemic.

The details

The researchers surveyed 163 respondents from Reddit subgroups focused on gel nails or contact dermatitis. Of those, 88 (54%) reported adverse skin reactions associated with using at-home gel nail products. Most were young women, and 98% were not nail technicians. The rates of skin reactions increased the more the products were used, with 80% of weekly users reporting some adverse reaction. Itching was the most common reaction, reported by approximately 75% of participants, followed by redness (70%) and swelling (60%). The findings were limited by the cross-sectional design, reliance on self-reports, and potential selection bias from recruiting through Reddit.

  • The survey was posted in 2026.

The players

Samantha K. Ong, MD

A dermatology resident at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, and the lead author of the study.

Amber Atwater, MD

A past president of the American Contact Dermatitis Society and a dermatologist in private practice in Vienna, Virginia.

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What they’re saying

“By focusing on at-home users rather than salon professionals, this study addresses a gap in the literature and highlights a growing public health issue that affects real-world consumer behavior.”

— Samantha K. Ong, MD, Dermatology resident

“We know the risk may be higher in this population because users are not trained professionals and because they are typically applying the product to themselves.”

— Amber Atwater, MD, Dermatologist

“Also, I would expect weekly users to have more application expertise, and therefore fewer reports of reactions; instead, they had more reactions.”

— Amber Atwater, MD, Dermatologist

What’s next

Additional research would be useful in larger, more diverse populations, ideally with confirmatory patch testing and prospective designs to better define causality, risk factors, and long-term outcomes.

The takeaway

This study highlights the underrecognized public health risk of allergic contact dermatitis from at-home gel nail products and the need to raise consumer awareness of the possible risks associated with these kits. Clinicians should ask patients about at-home gel nail use when evaluating hand, periungual, or facial dermatitis, and counsel them on the risk of acrylate allergy.